Norton, Worcestershire

Description
Norton, a village and a parish in Worcestershire. The village stands 1 1/4 mile W of the river Avon, 1 1/2 SSW of the boundary with Warwickshire, 1 SW of Harvington station on the Birmingham, Evesham, and Ashchurch branch of the M.R., and 3 miles NNE of Evesham, and has sometimes been called Abbot's Norton, having belonged to Evesham Abbey. The parish contains the hamlets of Lenchwick and Chadbury, and its post town is Evesham; money order office, Harvington; telegraph office, Harvington (R.S.) Acreage, 2656; population, 407. There is a parish council consisting of seven members. The manor and most of the land, with a fine hunting-box at Chadbury, called Wood Norton, belong to the Due d'Aumale. At Lenchwick are remains of the manor house of the Biggs, and another house contains 17th century wall paintings. Vestiges of an ancient stone bridge which crossed the Avon are at Twyford. Part of the battlefield of Evesham is within the parish, and has yielded relics of the battle. The living is a vicarage, called Norton and Lenchwick, in the diocese of Worcester; net value, £240 with residence. Patrons, the Dean and Chapter of Worcester. The church is Late Perpendicular, with a tower, was partly rebuilt, partly repaired in 1844, and contains an ancient stone lectern from Evesham Abbey, effigies of the Bigg family, and banners, &c.,of the Cravens. In 1871 a Perpendicularwindow was removed from Bengeworth church and inserted in the N nave wall, causing the removal of a 15th-century doorway, which now stands at the entrance of the churchyard. The private Roman Catholic chapel at Wood Norton contains stained glass windows in memory of members of the Due d'Aumale's family. There was formerly a chapel of St Michael at Lenchwick.